Somali Prime Minister Hamza Barre Returns From Longest Overseas Mission

Mogadishu, – Prime Minister of the Federal Government of Somalia, Hamza Abdi Barre, returned to Mogadishu on Friday after completing his longest foreign tour since taking office, a 12-day mission that took him to China and Serbia.

In China, Hamza participated in the 7th China–Arab States Expo, where he delivered a keynote speech and held bilateral meetings with senior Chinese officials. Discussions focused on strengthening economic cooperation and encouraging Chinese investment in Somalia’s underdeveloped sectors, including infrastructure, agriculture, and energy.

Following Beijing, the Prime Minister made a historic official visit to Serbia, where he was welcomed with high honors in the capital, Belgrade. At the presidential palace, Hamza met his counterpart Đuro Matsut, and the two leaders emphasized their commitment to deepening diplomatic and economic ties.

During the Belgrade visit, Somalia and Serbia signed a landmark health cooperation agreement. The deal will enable knowledge sharing, medical training, and joint research, a boost for Somalia’s fragile health sector, which continues to struggle with limited infrastructure and chronic shortages of qualified personnel.

This 12-day mission is significant not only for its duration but also for its geopolitical implications:

• With China, Somalia aims to attract large-scale investment from one of the world’s most influential economic powers.
• With Serbia, Somalia has aligned itself with Belgrade’s stance on Kosovo, highlighting parallel concerns over territorial integrity, as Mogadishu continues to reject Somaliland’s claims of independence.

Since assuming office in 2022, Hamza Barre’s foreign trips have generally been short, often under a week, and focused on Somalia’s immediate neighborhood or international summits. This extended tour underscores Mogadishu’s ambitions to diversify its diplomatic and economic partnerships, moving beyond traditional allies in the Arab world and the West.

Hamza Barre’s return marks the end of a carefully calibrated diplomatic outreach that blends economic diplomacy with political signaling. By engaging both Beijing and Belgrade, Somalia is seeking to expand its network of partners at a time when internal challenges — from security threats to constitutional reforms — demand strong external support. Whether these agreements translate into tangible benefits for ordinary Somalis will be the real test of the Prime Minister’s longest overseas mission to date.